Perhaps it is the economy that’s driving more people to the attic looking for lost treasures. But suddenly the quality of TV antiques show finds is rising substanially. Luxist‘s Deidre Woollard does a round up of the big money that’s been found:

A woman brought four pieces of carved Chinese Jade that she inherited to a Roadshow event in Raleigh, North Carolina over the weekend. The pieces of carved jade and celadon dated from the Chien Lung Dynasty (1736-1795) and included a large bowl crafted for the Emperor. Asian arts appraiser James Callahan said that a mark on the bottom of the bowl indicated it was created for an imperial order. The pieces were given a conservative auction estimate of up to $1.07 million. This is far and away the biggest appraisal in the show’s 13-year run, the previous record was a 1937 painting by Clyfford Still which was estimated at around $500,000. The excitement generated by this appraisal will doubtlessly send many people scrambling to the attic to revisit the treasures they’ve inherited. A word of caution though, an appraisal is no guarantee of a final sale price.

Of course, the British Antiques Roadshow had its own big score when someone came in with a maquette of Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North. Odd that a contemporary work could get lost, especially one that could be valued at £1m.

Antiques Roadshow to Feature First $1 Million Appraisal (Luxist.com)